The Trendiest Addition to Coredo

Coredo Muromachi Terrace and fall festivities 2019

Late September 2019, Mitsui Fudosan opened the trendiest addition to the Coredo shopping complex in Nihonbashi: The Coredo Muromachi Terrace.

From the outside, what distinguishes the Terrace from the earlier Coredo buildings is its lavishly spacious foyer covered with a skylight, thick with strategically planted greenery, and some water pools to create a soothing space only possible with natural elements.

Since its opening, people have flocked to the Terrace to explore the distinctive shops and restaurants and discover for themselves why these have been the talk of the town for weeks.

Most exciting is Eslite Spectrum Nihonbashi, a book and lifestyle store from Central Taipei. This retail brand is famous in Taiwan for being named one of the "world's coolest department stores" alongside Selfridges of London and Le Bon Marche of Paris. The gorgeously laid out second floor of the Coredo Muromachi Terrace is an expression of the sensibilities and core values of Eslite Spectrum which is "Humanity, art, creativity, life."

Taiwanese novelty items at Eslite Spectrum Nihonbashi

Another is Kaiboku, a minimalist shop on the first floor that sells one and only one thing -- dashi inari, which is inari zushi dripping with all the umami goodness of high quality dashi broth. There have been long lines since its opening, and the shop is often sold out way before closing time.

Kaiboku's dashi inari, set of four, ¥1,296

CLASSICS the Small Luxury, which is the only store in the world dedicated to handkerchiefs, has a branch here at the Terrace. It is here where you can purchase limited edition Mt. Fuji handkerchiefs in the same silky soft West Indian Sea Island cotton.

Classics The Small Luxury

Minamiaso Tea House is the place to get your stash of original tea blends made from a combination of herbs grown by the cafe and carefully selected from around the world. Their seasonal exclusive is their 100% lemongrass tea, which you can sample in small cups when you visit. Only a limited number of bags are available and will not be restocked after being sold out.

Premium herb teas

It is impossible to walk away from the the shop named 日本百貨店 (Nihon Hyakaten) without picking something for yourself or someone you love. 百貨店 literally means 'shop selling a hundred things' an old way to refer to department stores. Here you will find so many quirky and delightful things, beautiful and delicious things, things that remind you of your childhood or of your grandparents.

Specialty rice crackers

The Coredo complex has several events through November 2019 to celebrate both the opening of the Terrace and the change in seasons. From Mitsukoshimae station all along the corridor from the subway to the shops is a Noren Exhibit hosted by the various sponsors that have business in the Nihonbashi area.

From October 11 to November 4, enjoy the same furoshiki exhibit that was very popular in Paris in 2018 in the underground space between Coredo 1 and 3. This versatile piece of cloth can be elegant, playful, artsy, or kitschy depending on the print. This interactive exhibit is where you can learn how to wrap up different objects from boxes to watermelons to wine bottles. If you complete the stamp rally, you will receive furoshiki in one of five eye-catching designs.

The furoshiki exhibit that was very popular in Paris in 2018

At the workshop area, learn how to use a furoshiki to wrap things like wine bottles.

Autumn is traditionally a time for the creation and appreciation of beautiful things, the new Coredo Muromachi Terrace provides the perfect venue to celebrate this poetic season.

Getting there

The Coredo complex is located at Mitsukoshimae Station which is served by Tokyo Metro's Ginza and Hanzomon Lines.

For Sherilyn Siy, Asia is home. Born in Hong Kong, Sherilyn spent time in the Philippines, China, and now lives in Japan. She speaks English, Filipino, Chinese (or putonghua), and Hokkien, her family's local dialect. Running is one of her favorite ways to explore Japan. She proudly finished the 2015 Tokyo Marathon -- her first ever full marathon -- in 4 hours and 37 minutes. She was absolutely psyched when she got selected again to run the new Tokyo Marathon route in 2018. She hopes to complete other races in Japan.